On Sunday, 11 January 2015, Paris hosted a Unity Rally against radical Islamic terrorists, some of whom were responsible for the deaths of 17 people during the previous week in and around Paris. The crowds attending the rally were estimated at between 1.5 million and 4 million people, all protesting peacefully. Included in the crowd were 40 of the world’s leaders. Even Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority were front and center with French President Francois Hollande as the crowd marched.

Noticeably absent were the President of the United States or any of his administration. The highest ranking American in attendance was the ambassador to France, who didn’t have to go too far to make the trip. Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris, but was too busy to attend the march. Of course, this is all quibbling, according to Secretary of State John Kerry, who will be arriving in Paris on Thursday. Better late than never, I guess.

Amid the criticism, Eric Holder did find time in his busy schedule to appear on a couple of Sunday news programs, where, in each case, the same question came up. Hollande, at one point during the march, made the comment that France was at war with Islamic extremists. When the two hosts of the new shows asked if America was at war with Islamic terrorists, Holder would not agree with Hollande. He came close, saying they were against those who used religion as a reason for their terror.

No one in this administration ever says Islam is at fault. When the Ft Hood shooting happened, the administration cried “workplace violence”, in spite of the murderer’s yelling “Allahu Akbar” as he shot. During the rise of ISIS, they said that it wasn’t a Islamic group, in spite of Islamic being part of the name. The Boston bombers weren’t Islamic. The beheader in Oklahoma or the attempted beheader in New York City weren’t Islamic motivated. This administration never places the blame at the feet of Islam, but they do blame extremists.

On 18 February, the White House plans to host a summit on extremism. I’m sure Islam will continue to not be blamed. Maybe those radical extremist Christians will be denounced for failing to take down their Christmas trees in a timely manner, thus offending Muslims. Or maybe the extremists who still cling to their guns and Bibles will catch the heat. Could they blame the extremist Conservatives, or, as Nina Easton called them, “Caveman Caucus” for daring to confound Obama’s destructive agenda. What if, since this administration enjoys leading from behind, none of the other leaders attend the summit?

Last week, a video surfaced of Obamacare architect and MIT professor Jonathan Gruber explaining how the only way the law could pass was to lie to the American people because they were too stupid to understand the economics of it. Then, even as he was spinning it ( he was working off prompter and he misspoke), two more videos appeared saying basically the same thing. The comments are causing a turmoil, but what does it all mean?

We’ve got those defending the statements saying that everybody lies in Washington. Does a lie to get what you want make it excusable? Of course not. That’s not the way we want the peoples’ business done. But then, only one side was telling the lies; the Democrats. “You have to pass the bill, to see what’s in it” or it will only cost under $1T, or “If you like your plan (doctor), you can keep your plan (doctor). The Republicans were pointing out the lies, along with various conservative groups. All the arguments against the bill were shouted down as racist, sexist or just mean-spirited. The bill was passed at midnight on Christmas Eve under special rules without a single Republican vote!

The majority of the American people, however, saw right through the lies. Approval of Obamacare never got better than 45%. After passage, 60% disapproved of the bill. Currently, 55% of citizens want the law repealed or overhauled. Obviously, that group of Americans aren’t the stupid people Gruber was referring to.

He may have been talking about the Representatives and Senators who wrote the bill using “tortured language” at Gruber’s insistence and voted for the bill (I’ll remind you, all Democrats). He could have been referring to the media types who passed the lies on or refused to question, like the Washington Post, New York Times, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, etc. Maybe, he was talking to the people who were too easily convinced they were getting something for nothing. So, basically, the lies and the stupid labels were directed at the Democrat base. Everybody else saw through the veil and knew what was going to happen.

Recently, a group for whom I volunteer launched a Get Out The Vote project. They asked people to send pictures to social media with hashtags telling why I vote. A picture with a piece of paper or sign, however, can’t fully convey my answer. I respect the work that the group, Concerned Veterans for America, does, so, I’ll do what they ask while expanding a bit. I cast my first vote in 1972 and I haven’t missed an election since, whether mid-term or Presidential election. I make sure to vote in every primary election because that is my opportunity to choose the candidates in the general election. Basically, voting is one way for me to make my voice heard. Sometimes it’s heard and other times, it’s not. That’s democracy in action!

On a day in Philadelphia in 1787, after the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, a lady asked Benjamin Franklin what sort of government they had given the new country of the United States of America. Mr. Franklin quickly answered, “A Republic, madam, if you can keep it.”  We have maintained that Republic over 227 years, although, it has been under assault the last few decades. The Founding Fathers gave us a Constitutional Republic which helped the country through western expansion, piracy on the high seas, a Civil War threatening to tear us apart, and two world wars that menaced Europe.

Slowly, after the Second World War, we began trading bits of our freedoms for supposed security. A country built around capitalism slowly finds that regulated and restricted. Our Constitution so valiantly fought for is now circumvented because it doesn’t easily allow for more government control of citizens. We look around today and see the bankruptcy of Detroit, the massive, crippling municipal debt of Chicago. Many other cities in California wait in the wings for their days in bankruptcy court. All cities want a bail-out from the federal government, but that entity has racked up a huge debt of almost $18,000,000,000,000 (18 trillion). The policies that have caused the collapse of our cities are now ensconced in the government at the federal level.

Why do I vote? I vote because I’m one of the 70% who doesn’t like the direction our country is going. I want to see the rebuilding of the middle class, because that’s how you get the poorer people out of poverty. I want a return of the military to the strength that brought peace around the world. I want to bring back the respect for the US Constitution and demand that its rule of law be honored by those in Washington DC.

I could go on, but my answer to Benjamin Franklin would be that I love my country, my Republic and I am working to keep it. That’s why I vote!

About a month ago, the administration was mocking people who voiced Ebola concerns. They took every opportunity to tell Americans it would never reach our shores. A couple of weeks ago, we sent 3000 troops to the areas ravaged by the disease in an effort to beat down Ebola. Anyway, the hemorrhagic fever is difficult to contract. With all these precautions and assurances , don’t you feel safe?

Yesterday, it was confirmed by the CDC that a man who checked into a Dallas hospital was confirmed to be the first Ebola patient. The Liberian national had left his native home for the United States two weeks before and was visiting relatives here when he got sick, then went to the hospital. This morning, it was announced that another person, a relative of the first, was being monitored. All Tuesday, we heard from government officials  and the CDC not to worry. They say “stay calm and wash your hands”. Still feel safe?

The question is whether or not we are getting the straight scoop or all of the scoop. Last week, it was discovered that there are 200,000 valid US visas for Africans in countries with Ebola, including 160,000 Liberians. How did the Dallas patient get here? Was he one of those visas? We were told there was going to be screening for people leaving the countries with the disease. How do you effectively screen for a disease with an incubation period of from between three days and 21 days?  Do you quarantine people for over three weeks before they are allowed to leave?

But, Ebola is here now, in spite of what government officials say can’t happen. What happens now? Officials are having to track down anyone who flew with the patient, anyone with whom he came in contact from the time he left the plane to when he was admitted to isolation at the hospital. Remember that he walked into the hospital emergency room, where presumably there were other patients, where he went through normal triage routines before going into a room to see a doctor. Anyone who has been to a ER knows they came in contact with many people.  The number of lives this man touched could be well into the hundreds. All those people need to be monitored for Ebola, then, if any exhibit symptoms, the same search should be made for their contacts.

These efforts are being coordinated by government officials, of course. Over the years, how many cases of government inefficiency have we heard? How many have we heard over the past week? If you want something done properly, don’t give it to the government to do. If you want a lesson on inefficiency, look to the southern border. Illegals are pouring across our borders unchecked. Government records show we have people coming across from 143 countries, not just three in Central America. Could some of those coming in be from an Ebola country? What’s to stop them?

A couple of months ago, there was a report of theft at hospitals dealing with Ebola in Africa. Stolen were blood soaked bed sheets and clothing of those infected among other things. Perhaps I’ve read too many thrillers, but couldn’t that be fashioned into a new type of suicide wear for terrorists meaning Americans ill will? Just infect a terrorist with Ebola and get him over the border. The illegals are already coming in with antibiotic-resistant tuberculosis and a host of other illnesses. Why not Ebola?

While writing this, it was announced that  health officials had determined that school children had been exposed to the man with Ebola. It was also discovered the trip to the hospital the Liberian made on Sunday, was actually his second trip. During his first trip, he was seen, it was determined to not be serious and told to take antibiotics. This even after he told doctors in the hospital he had come from Liberia. Seems like that could be the first mistake. He was probably told to stay calm and wash his hands.

After much blustering over the last two weeks, the United States fired its first warshots, from fighters, bombers and Tomahawks, against terrorist targets in Syria last night. We launched the attacks alongside five Arab nations, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar. Well actually, planes of only three were in the air with us, as Bahrain and Qatar only “supplied” bases. In a speech on the White House lawn Tuesday, he again talked about the coalition of 40 countries he has built, but to date, other than the five who lent a hand last night, only France has carried out any missions, albeit in Iraq only. I have yet to hear who these countries are and the talking heads get all upset that someone would question them on anything.

Last night’s attack in Syria contained 25 targets, but, apparently, only 17 were against ISIS. There were eight targets attacked belonging to a little known group call Khorasan around Aleppo, an offshoot of Al Qaeda. A “senior administration spokesman” says they have had their eyes on the group for the last two years, but the tipping point targeting them came with intelligence that they were in the final phase prior to attacking the west and the United States. Of course, this is the administration that has told citizens that there were no indications of an imminent attack here.

The administration feels they can conduct the war from the air only and has repeatedly told citizens and ISIS alike there will be no boots on the ground, at least from America. No other countries have stepped up to accept a role on the ground. Only the Kurds want a ground role, saying they want to fight ISIS and don’t need American troops to help. They just need heavy weapons. Instead of Obama arming them directly, he wants to send their arms through Iraq, where Iraq will distribute them However, those arms aren’t being given to the Kurds. The Iraqis are keeping them, making up for the weapons lost when ISIS overran them several months ago.

There are still serious questions about how much stomach for a fight Obama has. As ISIS gets rolled back, they will become interspersed within towns and cities, hiding among the locals. As that happens, clear targets are harder to find and innocents begin to get killed. Remember all the bad mouthing this administration gave Israel about the death toll when Hamas hid behind Gazans. Also, remember Israel ultimately sent in ground forces. When the first collateral damage occurs, will he declare victory, then cut and run? I’m still not sure how he defines victory. The mission started as contain and manage, then grew to destroy. At what point will he declare ISIS destroyed. I keep hearing the term decimate. Well, when you decimate something, there is still 90% remaining, which is a viable fighting force. How high on the mission priority list  is deposing Bassir Al-Assad as President? It was mentioned as a goal in today’s press conference.

As I say, a lot of questions remain. Many countries are watching, especially Russia who supports Assad. For Obama, more important things are at hand. He has a climate change speech at the United Nations to make. It is, after all, the most important thing facing the world today; at least according the John Kerry and Barack Obama. The most important thing? Really?

From the time the United States entered the First World War through the present day, we have had a respected place in the world. We stood for freedom around the globe and our military was a force that stood ready to fight for that freedom, even in countries less strong, anywhere it was threatened. Beyond that, after World War II, the United States became a Superpower. Our military was kept at a level that allowed us to fight on two theaters almost simultaneously. We were the balancing force around the world that kept enemies at bay. We might not have been liked by everybody, but we were respected.

Today, that is not quite  the case. Budgetary cut after cut, followed by sequestration cuts has left the military reeling. Over ten years of fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,often under rules of engagement that hampered the mission, has left members of the military tired and frustrated and the equipment spent.Plans for the armed forces of America call for a downsizing to pre-WWII levels with the capability of fighting one conflict while denying objectives to an opponent in another.

Recently, Congress authorized the National Defense Panel to look at the planned military downsizing in relation to the role in the current world situation. That report is now in and it doesn’t paint a favorable picture.

At present, Russia has taken Crimea for Ukraine and is collaborating with Pro-separatist terrorists to take even more land from them. China has bulked up theirnaval  presence in the Pacific and is threatening territories of Vietnam and Japan. The Middle East is afire with a shooting conflict between Gaza and Israel. Iran is actively building a nuclear bomb while denying it to officials. ISIS is taking land from both Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile, the United States is preparing to leave Afghanistan, the terms of which are still very much in the air.

With this as a backdrop, the National Defense Panel slams the administration’s plans on reducing the military saying it is “inadequate given the future strategic and operational environment.” It calls on the administration to expand the mission statement as, in the current environment, the United States could be called on to deter or fight in any number of regions in overlapping timeframes.

If the goal of the administration is to lead in world affairs, this dangerous drawing down of military might must be reversed. There are several weapons systems, that the military itself doesn’t want. There are systems that have a questionable ability to fight the way they were planned. Programs of social experimentation could be cut before more damage to troops takes place. Of course, Congress has wasted billions of dollars that could be better spent in the military. Let’s start with Harry Reid’s favorite Congressional funding of the Cowboy Poetry Festival.

If the goal is to step back from a leadership role in the world, then continue on with the cuts and downsizing. The countries who are our allies will further distance themselves from us as they lose trust in America and our national security will be in jeopardy. But, at least, we’ll have more room on our stateside military bases to house the illegal aliens.